Improvement in musical instruments



UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE .ALBERT SCIIOENHUT, OF HlLADEL'PHiA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Spcciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,243, dated March 25,1873.

To all whom fit may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT SoEoENHUT, ot' Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Musical Instrument, of which the following is a specication:

My invention relates to improvements in musical instruments in which the sounds are produced by suspended plates struck by hammers; and the object of my invention is to simplify the operating parts and insure the production of clear and distinct sounds.

I accomplish this object by combining, in the manner shown in the sectional view, Fig ure l, and plan View, Fig. 2, of the accompanying drawing, a series of tlat metal plates, A, ot' diti'erent lengths, arranged side by side upon a frame or soundin g-boX, l5; a series of hammers, D, for striking the said plates; and aseries of keys, F, for operating the said hammers.

The metal plates A consist, in the present instance, of simple iiat strips of hoop-iron, cut to diti'erent lengths, so that each, when struck, shall produce the tone desired 5 and in order that this tone shall be full and rich the said plates are caused to rest upon a sounding-box, B, from which each is isolated, as well as from the pins a which retain it in position upon the said box, by means of wool or other suitable substance b inserted beneath the plates and wrapped around the retaining-pins, as best observed in Fig. 1. This permits the free vibration of the plates when they a-re struck by the hammers, and prevents the interfering vibrations resulting from suspending all the plates on cords, as usual, and the deadening ot' the sound which would be caused by contact of the said plates with metal or other unyielding substance. The arrangement of the hammers D above the plates A, as shown in the drawing, enables the sounding-box B to be employed without interfering with the operation or' the said hammers, and without unduly increasing the height ofthe case. Each oi' the latter consists of a head, d, a shank, e, and butt f, the latter being pivoted at g to the hammer-rail Il, and connected by a rod, fz', to

the key F, a spring, j, acting constantly upon the connecting-rod t' or hammer-butt, and tending to maintain the said hammer and key in the elevated posit-ion shown in Fig. l, and to restore them to this position after sounding anote. y

If a hammer be lowered slowly by depress-r ing its key it will not quite reach or strike its plate A; but, as the shank e ofthe hammer is made oi' spring-wire, or of other equivalent material having an inherent elasticity, it' the said hammer be suddenly depressed, as usual in playing, by striking its key, the momentum will be suiiicient to cause the head of the elastic hammer to strike the plate and produce the desired sound, and to then immediately recoil before the hand is lifted from the key. This elasticity of the hammer allows ot' the use ot' positive connections with the keys and hammers, so that the usual expensive and complicated tripping mechanism may be dispensed with.

Claims.

1. The arrangement ofthe plates A upon a sounding-box, B, beneath the hammers D, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination ofthe slotted plates A, soundingbox B, its pins a, and the isolating material arranged between the box and plates, as and for. the purpose described.

3. The combination of the keys F and hammers D having elastic shanks and connected positively with the keys, as and for the purpose specified.

4;. The hammers D and keys F, in combination with the connecting-rods i and sprin gs j, for the purpose described. y

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence ot two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT SGHOENHUT.

Witnesses:

WM. A. STEEL, HUBERT HowsoN. 

